The third series of Better Call Saul will offer fans a first look at Saul Goodman, star Bob Odenkirk has revealed.

The actor has played well-meaning Jimmy McGill in the Breaking Bad prequel for two series but will finally get to unleash his new persona of slimy lawyer Saul Goodman when the show returns to Netflix next month.

Bob said: “In season three it’s the first time we get to Saul Goodman but not in the way you think, not what you saw in Breaking Bad.

Bob Odenkirk
Bob Odenkirk (Netflix)

“That character will appear but in a slightly different form than you have seen.

“In season three there is a fun mix of comedy.

“There has always been a great mix of comedy and drama with the bad buys but in this one there is a more dynamic mix of the sequences and serious dramatic, scary high drama moments.”

The actor also revealed that Giancarlo Esposito’s return as revenge-bent drug kingpin Gus Fring from Breaking Bad, which was teased at the end of the second series, will not be just a short cameo.

He said: “Not only is Gus back, as everyone figured out, but there is story with him.

Bob Odenkirk and Ted Sarandos
Bob Odenkirk and Netflix’s Ted Sarandos (Netflix)

“We get to learn more about his empire and how he built it. He doesn’t just pass through. He’s not just an extraneous character.”

Bob told a Berlin press conference that he gives credit to the show’s co-creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould for not bringing back Breaking Bad characters “in a cheap way”.

He added: “They weren’t in a rush to bring people back and don’t bring them back purely for the sake of it.

“Here we see Gus and get to learn his story in ways that will inform Breaking Bad. It’s interesting, the story they have for him.

Better Call Saul
Better Call Saul (Michele K. Short/AMC/Sony Pictures)

“I can’t say specifics but there are aspects of his relationships that now, when you see Breaking Bad, will make sense in ways you hadn’t thought of.

“Gus is in a community of criminals so of course he would have had relationships with all those people for years and we are seeing what those are and that makes sense for Breaking Bad but it’s not in a gratuitous or cheap way.

“I don’t think they are eager to marry up Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad too much, they want a different tone and rhythm.”

Better Call Saul returns to Netflix on April 10.